Calling All Rabbit Nutters

[CSAchook]

My bun has gone on a hay strike. He refuses to eat even a nibble. I've tried several different kinds hoping to entice him but he steadfastly refuses it. Any suggestions? He's literally subsisting on pellets and fresh greens for the past few months.

What kind of hay feeder/container are you using?

 

[TJAnonymous]

I don't know.

Are you offering a lot of pellets or fresh greens?

I offer almost the exact same amount of each each day and have unlimited hay available at all times.
Zero treats. Well...an apple slice once a week or every 10 days.

He gets fresh greens in the morning. Usually a couple of leaves of lettuce or kale. This morning he got 1 leaf of romaine lettuce and a couple of sprigs of parsley. In the late afternoon, he gets 4 Oz (1/2 cup) of pellets. Maybe a couple of times a week, I'll give him some treats such as Kaytee dried fruits and nuts or some fresh apple or a carrot.

He has unlimited access to hay. He was eating the Kaytee natural Timothy hay when we first got him. Then I switched to TSC Dumor brand Timothy and he wouldn't touch it. So I tried to go back to the Kaytee but he won't eat it either. I'm just stumped.... I know this should account for 80% of his diet so I feel it's probably important to get him eating it again....

 

[TJAnonymous]

What kind of hay feeder/container are you using?

I've got a hay manger that attaches on the outside of his cage and he eats through the bars.

However I've also stuffed Timothy hay into an empty paper towel tube.

He won't touch either one.

 

[Kiki]

He gets fresh greens in the morning. Usually a couple of leaves of lettuce or kale. This morning he got 1 leaf of romaine lettuce and a couple of sprigs of parsley. In the late afternoon, he gets 4 Oz (1/2 cup) of pellets. Maybe a couple of times a week, I'll give him some treats such as Kaytee dried fruits and nuts or some fresh apple or a carrot.

He has unlimited access to hay. He was eating the Kaytee natural Timothy hay when we first got him. Then I switched to TSC Dumor brand Timothy and he wouldn't touch it. So I tried to go back to the Kaytee but he won't eat it either. I'm just stumped.... I know this should account for 80% of his diet so I feel it's probably important to get him eating it again....

He's rotten.
I'd cut back on the greens and pellets to force him to eat more hay.
I'm not very nice.

How old is he?

 

[TJAnonymous]

He's rotten.
I'd cut back on the greens and pellets to force him to eat more hay.
I'm not very nice.

How old is he?

LOL... Tough love. My style....

I have no idea how old he is. He showed up at my daughter's riding stable. They thought he was a wild bunny at first but he kept coming up to them and trying to climb into their lap. I told them that wild bunnies do not act that way. He is a domestic bunny that someone either lost or dumped. He disappeared for a week but thought he might be living under the barn. He finally showed up again and they had no trouble catching him. They brought him to me because no one else was willing to take him. I took him to the vet. He was treated for a tick infestation but was otherwise healthy. However the vet didn't give me any indication of his age.

 

[Kiki]

LOL... Tough love. My style....

I have no idea how old he is. He showed up at my daughter's riding stable. They thought he was a wild bunny at first but he kept coming up to them and trying to climb into their lap. I told them that wild bunnies do not act that way. He is a domestic bunny that someone either lost or dumped. He disappeared for a week but thought he might be living under the barn. He finally showed up again and they had no trouble catching him. They brought him to me because no one else was willing to take him. I took him to the vet. He was treated for a tick infestation but was otherwise healthy. However the vet didn't give me any indication of his age.

How long have you had him?

 

[TJAnonymous]

How long have you had him?

Since June of last year

 

[TJAnonymous]

This was the picture we took the first day he arrived.

 

[TJAnonymous]

This is probably a better picture that I took in June last year

 

[HappyClucker7]

He gets fresh greens in the morning. Usually a couple of leaves of lettuce or kale. This morning he got 1 leaf of romaine lettuce and a couple of sprigs of parsley. In the late afternoon, he gets 4 Oz (1/2 cup) of pellets. Maybe a couple of times a week, I'll give him some treats such as Kaytee dried fruits and nuts or some fresh apple or a carrot.

He has unlimited access to hay. He was eating the Kaytee natural Timothy hay when we first got him. Then I switched to TSC Dumor brand Timothy and he wouldn't touch it. So I tried to go back to the Kaytee but he won't eat it either. I'm just stumped.... I know this should account for 80% of his diet so I feel it's probably important to get him eating it again....

Try not to feed him as much lettuce and kale. You can give him some, but too much isn't good. Try to switch it up with some broccoli, bell pepper, fennel, swiss chard, etc. Also, don't give him as many vegetables in the morning. Just a little handful.
You're giving him WAY too many pellets. I only give my rabbits about 1/8 of a cup every day.
Don't give any more dried fruit or nuts. If you want to give him a treat, make sure its a fresh fruit, or a carrot. Nothing dried, and no nuts or oats.
To get him to eat hay again, I would just give a tiny bit of vegetables, and a tiny bit of pellets. Not enough to keep him filled throughout the day. He'll eat hay when he's hungry, and realizes he's not going to get extra food. Once he's eating hay again, you can increase the vegetable and pellet amounts to what I recommended above.